Machine for handling brick-molds.



PATENTED DEC. 15,1903. N

J. E. GRINDER. MACHINE FOR HANDLING BRIG-K MOLDS.

PA'ITENCITED DEC. 15, 1903.

L E. GRINDER. MACHINE FDR HANDLING BRICK MOLDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 1903.

' 2 sums-sum 2.

NO MODEL.

vented certain new and useful Improvements 0 parts when a mold'is beingrelieved of its Patented i fiecember i 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH ED GRINDER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.-

MACHINE FOR HANDLING BRlCK-MOLDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7d6,827, dated December15, 1903.

Application filed March 23, 1903.

1'0 (2,66 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I. JOSEPH ED GRINDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inin Machinesfor Handling Brick-Molds; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.-

This'iuvention relates to improvements in molds for brick or the like incombination with an apparatus for relieving the mold of its charge ofclay.

In the manufacture of brick from wet clay considerable difliculty hasbeen experienced in removing the block of clay from the mold withoutdisfiguring it. It is of the utmost importance that the green brickberemoved with a constant and uniform parallel movement; otherwise thefaces of the brick will be outv of line.

It is the purpose and object of this invention to provide a particularform of mold having a plunger which when filled and it is desired torelieve it of its charge it is placed on a car with appropriateabutments to compress the mold and force the brick therefrom to the carin such a Way as to preserve its continuity.

Furthermore, it is the purpose of-this invention to provide a car ofpeculiar construc-' tion to readily receive the mold to permit of itsbeing conveniently handled.

Many other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

I In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvedapparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation illustrating the position of thecharge and showing a modified system of levers for operating the movableabutments. Fig.3 is a cross-section on the line A A. Fig. 4: is a detailperspective view of the car. Fig.- 5 is a detail perspective view of themold.

The same numerals refer to like parts in all the figures. r

1 represents a frame composed of a base 2, uprights 3 8 cross-bars 4,and sills 5. A pair of rods or tracks 6 connect the cross-bars 4, andmounted on these tracks is a car 6 gle-levers 15 and 16 by links 21.

adapted to be moved back and forth. The

Serial No. 149,116. (lilo model.)

car consists of a platform 7 and a rocking shelf 8, hinged at 9 to theplatform, and it has on its front end a ledge 10. The shelf is hinged ashort distance from the front of the platform in order that it may betilted in an Fig. 1. The uprights 3* extend up beyond the tracks, andsecured to them are stationary projecting abutments 11, which areoutsidethe vertical plane of the ends of the car when. the latter ispositioned to remove clay from the mold. Immediately under thestationary abutments are vertically movable abutments 12,. guided insuitable ways 13 on the sills 5. The space between the movable abutmentsis just sufficient for the positioning of the car.

To the lower ends of the stems 14, which carry the abutments 12, aretoggle-levers l5, pivoted to similar levers l6,which are pivoted to thebase 2. Mounted in bearings 18 on the uprights 3 is a rock-shaft 19,bearing arms 20, which are connected to the pivots of the tog- Anoperating-lever 22 projects from the rock-shaft 19 upward and inclinedposition, as shown in to afford a convenient means for lifting theabutments 12.

If desired, the system of levers described may be dispensed with and inlieu thereof other levers may be employed for foot-power,

as shown in Fig. 2. To the ends of the stems 14 are pivoted arms 25,mounted in standards 26 and connected at their opposite ends by links27, which in turn are connected to arms 28 of a treadle 29, fulcrumed at30 to the base. Obviously upon the depression of the treadle theabutments 12 will be lifted as with the movement of the hand-lever 22.

The specific form of mold I utilize in carrying out my invention is ofvital importance, and I will now proceed to describe it in detail.

The mold may contain as many cells as found convenient and necessary;but fort-he moved and carried to the drying-racks.

placed on the pins 36 and are interposed between the ends 39 and thehead-piece 34,which serves to keep the plungers 33 in the bottom of themold. A series of straps 41 are secured to the mold-frame and looparound the headpiece. These straps limit the movement of the plungers inthe cells, the springs acting to force the head-piece against saidstraps. This insures the depth of the mold being uniform.

In operation the cells are filled with wet clay in the usual manner.Then the mold is carried to the removing apparatus before described andplaced on the shelf 8. The shelf has previously been tilted, as shown inthe drawings, so that as the mold is placed thereon it will not have tobe tilted far enough to dislodge the clay; otherwise a portion of itmight become loose and would therefore destroy the continuity of theproposed brick. The mold having been placed on the shelf at the front ofthe apparatus, it is then turned down on the car, and the latter is slidforward between the abutments, the movement of the car being arrested bycontacting with the uprights 3 3 or suitable stops on the tracks, so asto always have a fixed relationship with regard to the abutments thatthe latter may effectively operate to remove the clay from the cells.The mold thus positioned, the operator grasps the handle 22 and draws ittoward him. This movement straightens the toggles, and hence elevatesthe abutments 12. The space between the shelf 8 and the stationaryabutments 11.is such that it is just sufficient to permit theintroduction of a mold, so that immediately the abutments 12 areelevated they act on the mold-frame 30 As the abutments 12 continue torise and as the head-piece 34 abuts against the stationary abutments 11obviously the molded clay will be ejected from the cells. The moldedblocks of clay being now free from the mold and the latter being whollysupported between the abutments 11 and 12, the car 7 is withdrawn againto the front of the apparatus, where the clay-blocks are re- It is ofcourse to be understood that pallets are to be placed on the shelf 8 toreceive the clay blocks, that they may be readily and convenientlyremoved from the car. After-the car is removed the lever 22 is reversed,which lowers the abutments 12, and the mold is removed, to be againfilled with clay.

I have described two systems of levers by means of which the abutmentsmay be operated, and it is to be understood that either may be employed.

.My improvement is especially designed with a view of using wet clay.Numerous devices have been devised for handling dry clay in themanufacture of brick, but such constructions are inadequate for moldingbrick from the wet material. It is of the utmost importance that theplunger be relatively guided to insure a brick of uniform surfacesthroughout, and at the same time the said plunger must be limited in itsmovement when the clay is removed. Furthermore, the mechanism forejecting the clay must be such as to permit of the laying down of themold and'its charge without allowing it to fall from the cells, and thenthe abutments which separate the mold and the clay must of necessity bearranged to lift the mold absolutely parallel with the sides of thebrick. All of these various requirements are fully anticipated by myinvention.

The improvement also comprehends the employment of a double set ofabutments and a car, so that two sets of molds may be operated by asingle system of levers.

The invention is simple in construction, durable in character, andpossesses decided advantages over the present art.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination with a mold having a plunger,of a platform adapted to receive the mold, a stationary abutment againstwhich the mold bears, a movable abutment adjacent the opposite side ofthe mold, and mechanism for operating the movable abutment to force themold against thestationary abutment to relieve the mold of its charge ofclay or the like, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a mold having a plunger, of a car adapted toreceive the mold, a stationary abutment, a movable abutment, andmechanism for operating the movable abutment to relieve the mold of itscharge of clay or the like, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a mold having a plunger, of a car, a hingedshelf carried by the car which receives the mold, a stationary abutment,a movable abutment, and mechanism for operating the movable abutment torelieve the mold of its charge of clay or the like, substantially asdescribed.

4.. The combination with a mold having a plunger, of a car, a shelfhinged to the car and provided with a ledge, the shelf being hinged tothe car a short distance from the edge of the latter whereby the shelfmay be tilted to receive the mold, a stationary abutment, a movableabutment, and mechanism for operating the movable abutment to relievethe mold of its charge of clay, or the like, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a mold-frame havinga series of cells, a plungerin each cell, a head-piece carrying the plunger or plungers, bandssecured to the mold-frame and adapted to pass around the head-piece tolimit the movement of the said head-piece, springs to normally force thehead-piece against the bands, a shelf, and mechanism acting on thehead-piece and the mold-frame for ejecting the clay from the molds tothe shelf, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a mold having a plunger, of a frame composed ofstandards, sills and cross-bars, tracks connecting the cross-bars, a caradapted to travel on the tracks and having a hinged shelf, stationaryabutment-s on the standards, movable abutments working in guides on thesills, and mechanism for elevating the movable abutments to relieve themold of its charge when the car carrying a mold is placed between theabutments, substantially as described.

-7. The combination with a mold made in sections, a shelf, a stationaryabutment, a movable abutment, toggle-levers connected with movableabntments, and a lever for operating the toggles to elevate the movableabutment which relieves the mold of its charge of clay, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination with a shelf having a ledge at or near one edge, amold carried thereby and abutting against the ledge, part of the moldbeing stationary, and movable mechanism adapted to grip the mold forsepnecting the rock-shaft and the toggles,whereby the movable abutmentsare elevated to relieve the mold of its charge of clay, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix" my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOSEPH ED GRINDER. Witnesses:

L. M. GOTWALD,

JNo. IMIRIE.

